The Forgotten Story
by Martamos
Summary: Even with the world at peace Aang's heart still remains heavy. The crimes of the past that he could not stop have him troubled as he does not believe he has the wisdom to stop it from happening again, but he knows one being that might... the First Avatar
1. Chapter 1

**The Forgotten Story**

_This is a concept I have been thinking about for a long time and I though I should finally make it a reality. I wont give anything away yet but I hope you enjoy it._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender and I really hope none of you thought I did._

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Chapter 1 – Warnings

It had been ten years since the end of the war and Aang could still feel the fires burning. He could still see Ozia in his dreams trying to scorch the Earth Kingdom like Sozin burnt his people before him. He had been there to stop Ozia but not Sozin. Now that he lived here in the Southern Air temple he was reminded every day of what he had been unable to stop.

Not even his wife Katara and his son Tenzin could quell his guilt over his failure. They could only give him moments of reprieve and made his life as happy as it could be.

He could never let this happen again and if there was one thing that could help prepare you for the future...was to look into the past.

He had spent whole days in conference with his past lives. He had covered the experiences and failures Roku and Kyoshi and while they helped he could not find the wisdom he needed.

He had had an idea recently, in fact he had wanted to know from the day he accepted his role as avatar. But for some reason there had been something holding him back, stopping him from talking to this particular past life.

He had spend literally days in the libraries of each avatar temple and beyond, in Ba Sing Se, the dragon Catacombs, even the deep archives of Omashu. But he had only gleamed the odd bit of detail, a burning storm, a horrible war and various mentions of the energy benders.

It was like this person was a hidden secret, a forgotten aspect of his existence that he was not meant to know about. And in every temple or source of information he went to he could neither find a name or an image to go with this part of his history.

But today was the day he would get answers, with Katara and Tenzin gone to the South Pole to visit relatives he had the time he needed to find out the truth.

He had an area he always liked to meditate in, it was a balcony next to the chamber of past avatars. He felt more connected there and that was what he needed for this task. He folded his legs on the ground and breathed deep, looking deep into himself and calling on the past life that he was most connected to.

The bluish image of Roku shimmered into existence before him, but unlike how he usually looked happy with a kind look on his face today he looked sad and wary. His old eyes looked into Aang's and Aang could tell he already knew what he was going to ask him.

"Aang," he said in his ancient echoing tone, "this is not something you will enjoy knowing. That man's life was a hard one and what he had to do to keep the world safe weighs heavy on us all."

"I could imagine that much," Aang said calmly, "but I refuse to be ignorant of our past, if you had told me that he was a psychopath that raped and pillaged across the nations I would still have asked to you to tell me. I must know what we were."

Roku sighed at Aang's words. "I will not deny you the truth Aang. It was never my intention to do so, but it is not my place to tell you this tale."

"Then who's is it?" Aang asked getting excited.

Roku took a moment to respond, he seemed to be steeling for what he was about to say. At last he said softly, "The man you want is called Gaius, he is an ancient being and one that we that came after him rarely converse with. The last was Kyoshi and what she heard gave her both strength and determination, but the horrors of what she heard were enough to scar her for life and enough to stop her from allowing me to speak with him. If you still wish to speak with Gaius looked into yourself and call on him. He will do the rest..."

Roku faded leaving Aang with the knowledge he had wanted and a new fear of what that knowledge entailed. Gaius, the forgotten Avatar, the one lost from record and the one he still wanted desperately to talk to.

Doing as instructed he re-entered his trance and called "Gaius, I must speak with you..." at once the lights around him faded. The sun was high in the sky yet all around him became dipped in shadow. A bird flying near y slowed in the air as if time was slowing down for the world around him.

Aang knew he was there before he spoke, his presence was unmiscible. He appeared before Aang not sitting but standing observing him with ancient eyes of a colour Aang could not name. He was tall with a handsome face and long brown hair that seemed windswept. His body was muscular and highly defined shown off clearly by his cloths, he wore a dark robe, maybe black, that was nearly too long in the arms and open at the front displaying his muscular chest. He also wore simple trousers underneath with not shoes.

He did not have the blue hue of the other past lives, he was in perfect colour but they were not in the spirit world he could tell that much. How old must this man be that he can manifest in the physical world with nothing but a summons.

"I can't," Gaius said resoundingly, his voice was strange. It was deep but not harsh, eloquent but not soft, it was calming but there was a fire behind it that spoke of his strength, a confidence in his power to destroy anything that turned against him. In short it was terrifying.

"I'm sorry..." Aang said for that was all that he could say.

Gaius smirked ever so slightly, "I cannot manifest myself in the physical world. I have come into your mind and increased your perception of time so that we can talk freely. Plus blue was never my colour." He smiled down at Aang which made his neck prickle, his teeth were too straight and white to be normal and his look was more self satisfied than friendly.

Aang cleared his throat bringing up the courage to speak, "If you know my thoughts," he said wetting his lips out of nerves, "then you must know if you are the one I wished to speak with?"

Gaius looked down at Aang with those old old eyes and nodded slowly, "Yes young one I am. I am the first Avatar!"

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_There you go no to shabby ah, the next chapter will be both longer and far less cryptic and we will begin the tale of the First Avatar._


	2. Chapter 2

Ive through for a long time about what I want to do with this story. I though for a while about abandoning it completely. Then insperation, not sure where it was from but it was there. Anyway Im continuing several of my stories I once gave up on. Potential future facinates me, I enjoy exploring it!

Disclaimer: Avatar is not mine, both airbender and giant smurf ones.

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**Chapter 2 – Why?**

Aang spent longer than he could in future remember just staring at the man before him. The first Avatar, the first part of him that all remaining parts of him could be traced. He could not comprehend the lives he must have lived through all the Avatars. A silent shadow constantly observing there lives, how much did he remember. How much could one mind take in and remain there own.

He could not help wonder if he would be like this man before him one day? Were all the other ancient Avatars? Did they even still exist after so long?

He supposed they had to be or the Avatar state would not truly work would it?

"Are you done pondering our existence?" Gaius asked a mocking tone in his voice.

"Sorry," Aang said quickly swallowing hard, he knew this could not go on forever. He had to ask what he came here to ask and let Gaius rest.

"I do not require rest," Gaius stated simply, "I am merely impatient to know your question."

Aang frowned, "Can't you read my mind?" he asked confused, "Why don't you just find the answer in my head?"

He laughed, not with the reserve he had shown before but so violently and with such enthusiasm even Aang, who laughed freely whenever the fancy took him, felt uncomfortable looking at him.

It was almost a minute before Gaius could stop himself and look at Aang with what he could only guess was more a more engrossed expression.

"We like how you think," he said his voice imbued with an emotion Aang could not identify.\

"We?" he asked confused.

"Force of habit," he said simply calming down more.

He scratched his head thinking over what what Gaius had said, "I know the question I want to ask you," he said confused, "why else would I have called you out?"

"No you don't," he stated no emotion hinting his voice, Gaius' mood swings were already annoying him.

"What the hell are you talking about!" he half shouted, "I've been worrying about this for months, I exhausted every option I could think of. All I need is answers and as far as I can see you are the only one who can give them to me!"

"There are no answers without questions," another statement and Aang felt his anger spike.

"I have my question!" he shouted standing angrily.

"No you don't!" he was firmer this time.

"Why Not!" he shouted at last marching over and pushing his face closer to his earliest life.

"Because none of you do!" again no real emotion but this time it sunk in to Aang. He stepped back looked at him inquiringly.

Gaius' colourless old eyes stared into him patiently as if analysing him to give the most appropriate response. At last he opened his mouth and spoke the following, "I have over a thousand lives through the eyes of my successors. I have lived there pains and loves, there mistakes and successes. I have been born a thousand times and died all but one as many..."

"What does this..." he tried to interrupt but he raised a finger to silence him.

He continued, "In this time witnessed more hate and rage and horror than you can perceive. But also more good. You do not see this perspective, therefore you do not see what you want to ask me." he paused as questioning himself over what he was about to say, he seems to relent because he finished his statement, "If you witness what I am willing to show you then your question will be the same as all the rest."

Aang felt a chill go up and down his spine, he swallowed hard again, "Wha...what was that?" he asked finding himself scared to find out the answer."

Gaius blinks once and answers with a slight almost warm smile, "Why?"

A flood of emotion swept through Aang as he took in what this might all mean. What would he see and how. "Why?" why what? Just through talking to Gaius for a few minutes he felt like asking why about a lot of stuff.

"Are you ready?" Gaius asks almost lazily.

"Ready for what?" Aang asked almost fearfully.

Gaius tilted his head, considering him closely, "To comprehend."

"To comprehend what?" Aang heard his voice raise again.

Gaius smiled wickedly, "Why.?"

Aang was going to argue but could not bring himself to. He was tired of this fruitless back and forth. He had to know what Gaius meant, he looked at him and sighed, "What do I need to do?" he could hear defeat in his own voice.

Gaius lunged at him placing his right palm over his eyes and holding him tight. Aang tried to struggle but his limbs would not obey. His mind felt like it was vibrating, he began to loose all concept of his life, his gender...even his name. He saw things he knew were not there; waves filled with broken ships, a dragon the size of a small mountain covered in flame, a laughing amber eyed child reaching for his face, the sun burning his back...Gaius began to speak.

"Through the eyes of a beggar we can see can see how much we have. Through the eyes of a rich man we can see what wealth cannot buy. Through the eyes of a mother we can see what it means to embrace another life more than our own. Through the eyes of a tyrant we can see reason where we would never have considered it. Through the eyes of the blind we see light where light cannot truly touch.

"Through the eyes of the past, your past you must know yourself. You will see our lives at there peak, where you need to see them. Then and only then will you see me, as I am and as I was. Withstand us and comprehend and you will see why it is Why!"

Aang lasted long enough to ask one question, "If I fail?"

Gaius did not answer his question but Aang did hear this before he felt who he was slip away, "I offer you this wisdom Avatar Aang, All this has happened before and it will happen again, all that changes is how!"

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Jan arched her back in pain as a massive contraction racked her body. All she wanted was to get this damn baby out of her body as soon as possible. It had only been an hour and she was already regretting her choice to throw out her useless husband. It felt wrong to have nothing to throttle and she felt bad doing that to the healer, she was actually helping.

"Oi!" she shouted and the servant at the wall, "get Shan in here, his Princess needs a punching bag!"

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That went well I think, review at your leasure. I enjoy speculation and ideas


	3. Chapter 3

Ok just to warn you this chapter will set the tempo for the rest of the story. My you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Just to warn you it does get a little racey at the end, if you guys think I need to upgrade the rating just time me.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Avatar universe, though I did create all of these characters save one myself so...ye.

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**Chapter**** 3 – Pain**

_Tension, continuous tension...all the sense Aang could make of it. He struggled...pulling what of himself he could together. Watch...he had to watch and understand **YOU HAVE TO BECOME AND COMPREHEND! **…...Gaius...his mind...to large. Aang felt himself falling, falling...knowing there was hard ground bellow and he was made of glass. Falling...falling...he shatters!_

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"Why the hell not!" Jan screamed standing over her useless excuse for a husband.

"It would make the process longer and harder," Shen pleaded holding hand to his bloody nose, "anyway you hate feeling vulnerable."

She blew a raspberry dismissively and turned away from him loosing her balance for a second due to her pregnant belly. Shen was at her side at once helping her along, she tried to shove him away but if she was honest she actually liked having him close.

She leaned against his broad chest slightly then pulled away quickly, stomping over to the massive bed she slept in and collapsed backwards on to it, her legs spread eagle.

"Dear please have some modesty," Shan pleaded pulling at her night dress.

Jan kicked him away harshly, "Everyone, every royal of Ba Sing Se is meant to witness the birth of the next heir. So naturally everyone is going to see it at some point!"

"It's a matter of decency Jan!" he said firmly.

She jabbed a finger in his face, "Till this babies out that's AVATAR Jan to you," she was really becoming quite petty now she knew it, "shouldn't be hard, just imagine were in bed together. She bit her lip suggestively at him and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Some what hard with a dozen or so people in the room," he observed walking over to the window and staring out. She loved that view, this was one of only a few dozen towers that stood above Ba Sing Se. The rest of the city was hundreds of meters beneath her feet.

The king had not wanted to let her give birth up here but when she had threatened to take the baby away and raise it back home he had relented. No one says no to Avatar Jan! Plus the air help her condition...something they both knew.

"Hey get out of here for a bit I need to talk to some one," she said sitting up and slouching over her pregnant belly. Shen turned to her and raise and enquiring eyebrow, she raised her hands in mock defence, "don't worry it's just avatar stuff. Go get them to bring me a bigger pier I would hate to have to set the tower on fire to stop my nipples from freezing off."

"The cold helps your condition you said so yourself!" he admonished.

She stuck her tong out at him, "I didn't realise you liked your children and wife frozen!"

"That is not what I am referring to!" he said sternly, "how do you feel?"

"Fine"

"Janri!" he said angrily making her scowl at him, "how do you really feel my love?"

Jan turned away from him not wanting to look him in the eye, "No more pain than normal," she muttered almost to quiet to hear.

He came closed and toucher chest, which like always made her feel warmer inside, "Please, if you are hurting you must tell us. This is all dangerous as it is with you up here but if you dont tell us when you are in pain..."

"When have I ever made it a secret when Im in pain!" she cried in exasperation, "now clear out I have to talk to Yaala!"

Shen's shoulders slumped and he sighed, looking back up at her he smiled weakly, "Anything else my princess?" he asked a humorous note to his voice.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm..." she wondered flopping back down, "a hot spring, whipped cream, two large water tribe men and another woman to have this baby while I enjoy the first three."

Shen just shook his head at her and laughed as he walked out of the birthing chamber. Jan straightened as much as she could in her condition and looked around the room. Bathed in the flameless green lights she had come to find so comforting it was a nice place to have her child. But she had no intention of doing so alone.

Sitting cross legged on the bed and closing her eyes, Jan looked deep into herself into what she was and had once been. Just as it said in the words of Kajan she called out with mind, spirit and body..."Yaala..."

The world dimmed around her and she felt herself come apart slightly as a blue spectral figure appeared before her. The woman who sat cross legged across from her was slim and beautiful with short wind swept hair. She was dressed in a loose outfit that seem to large for her and hung off her in places displaying to much flesh for even Jan's liking.

Yaala opened her large cat like eyes and smiled at her so widely that Jan was as always reminded of a child smiling with all there might for the smallest reason. It also reminded Jan why she had called for her, not just because she was the most resent last female Avatar but also because of all the past lives she had called on, Yaala was her favourite.

"So your up the duff!" Yaala proclaimed in her usual over exuberant voice.

"Not for much longer!" she replied gritting her teeth as a fresh wave of pain hit her.

"Oooooo," Yaala said in mock sympathy, "that part hurts almost as much as the next bit."

"Would you stop smiling!" Jan snapped clutching she midsection to try and ease the pain a little.

"No" Yaala proclaimed happily.

She groaned loudly half in pain and half irritation, why did she like Yaala again, "Remind me why I called here again?"

"Because in my life I popped out five of the little buggers," she sounded a little more serious this time.

"Yes I've met the youngest," Jan growled at her exhaling in a long stream of air as the pain left her at last, "what was that about the next bit?"

"Oh its terrible!" Yaala said gleefully, Jan could actually feel her eye twitch in anger.

"Any advice?" she asked as diplomatically as possible.

"What?"

"About my baby!" she snapped again.

"Breath," she said simply, "with great frequency."

Her eye twitched again, "Anything else? What did you do when had yours?"

Yaala looked away thoughtfully, she was the only one of her past lives that had ever done this to her, "I had three of mine on Bison back, one at the great mountain city and the other at an Inn...next to a Bison."

"Im a little short on Bison," she replied leaning back on her hand to take some of the pressure off her stomach, "do you suggest I get them to bring a Baggermole up here?" she asked sarcastically.

"If you think it would help," she said simply her smile becoming more kind and almost motherly, "make yourself comfortable and it will make the world of difference."

Jan laughed in spite of herself, "Your mood swings are going to kill me some day..." she muttered.

"Harok said the same before you," Yaala said gleefully, "yet he called on my wisdom as much as you did."

Jan tensed as more pain hit her, she gritted her teeth and breathed hard and fast to help reduce it. It didn't help in the slightest.

"Slower!" Yaala commanded and proceeded to breath in deep and exhale slowly. She continued to do this breathing in and breathing out. In and out, over and over and Jan felt her pain ebb slightly and realised she had been breathing with Yaala from the beginning.

She smiled at her past self and Yaala smiled warmly back at her. She took a deep breath and was about to ask her favour of her when Yaala spoke.

"Don't!" she said simply, all smiles gone, "you asked on him before and you hated yourself for it. Why do it again?"

"So many die in the throws of child birth..."

"You wont!" Yaala interrupted but Jan held up her hand.

"I don't want pity," Jan growled at her, "I never wanted it, not from you or anyone living. I know what I am to people...the broken Avatar, an Avatar that cannot run or truly help people. I have spent my life fighting regardless, fighting in pain, escaping death in combat as frequently from my own frailty. I now face the most joyous moment of my life and the one most likely to kill me."

"So why?"

"Exactly!" she half yelled, "Why? If I am to know any wisdom in my life, the life that I have left! It is the why he put to me when I was a child in Omashu."

Yaala looked away again, her happiness gone completely, "I offer only my wisdom Avatar Janri; stay true to your self and do when you believe will serve the world best." and with that she faded, light returned to the world.

Pain hit her again, this time not from her belly but her chest. It was the old pain, the crippling pain that drained her strength, It was like a crushing hand around her heart. As it ended she placed her hand on her bulging belly and felt tears fall down her cheeks. She knew in her heart the truth of this night, she would die before she could hold her child in her arms.

"Gaius!" she gasped into the air and felt strength fill her as a part of herself left again.

"Why?" his deep voice asked.

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"_GAIUS!" Kaadok cried from the shore water flowing around his ankles. His long brown hair was wind swept and his blue eyes frantic. His black cape flapped wildly over his leather armour._

_Gaius stepped down onto the water, freezing it on contact. He stood shirtless in the freezing air allowing it to soak into every part of his being. He loved the northern sea, where his father had taken him from the water. He had no memory of it of course but the story still made him smile. That such an evil man would show such compassion, if only for a short while._

"_GAIUS!" Kaadok shouted again walking further into the surf, "WE MUST LEAVE!"_

"_Patience brother," Gaius called walking casually across the water and onto the beach, "we have all the time in the world."_

_Kaadok as always would not take no for an answer, "Gaius we have to leave, Mato's arm is on its way, if we stay we will be caught against sea and the mountains!"_

_Gaius stretched lazily, "Then let them do so," he said passing by his brother and back towards the camp._

_His brother chased after him grabbing him by the shoulders and forcing him to look at him, "We can't face them brother!" he implored shaking him wildly, "We are to few to face him and he knows it!"_

"_Exactly," Gaius replied smiling smuggly._

_Kaadok frowned deeply, "What are you talking about?"_

"_I mean dear brother that the fool knows his victory is assured, and will want all of this glory for himself," Kaadok continue to frown causing Gaius to roll his eyes at him and continue to walk to camp, 'Every bender the world over knows of me yes?"_

"_Yes," Kaadok agreed as if this was a new point added to the equation._

"_The mutant bender able to bend the world to his will like it were nothing," he quoted gesturing dramatically with his hands._

"_Yes," Kaadok replied looking puzzled._

_Gaius sigh at his adopted brothers slow uptake, "So Mato will want to take me himself," he explained slowly, "he will drive his army forward toward the centre of my force looking to surround me and kill me."_

"_How does this make you happy?' Kaadok asked franticlly._

"_Because he will be aiming for wrong me," he explained with relish walking past him again and half running to the camp._

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Aang fell backwards gasping for breath feeling his mind come back together in a mess of thoughts and memories. He looked around him in a daze seeing Gaius staring at him like an interesting animal he had just found rolling in the mud.

"Who?" he asked chokingly sounding like he had almost drowned.

"Why?" he asked once again, a small smile on his face.

"Just answer...the question!" Aang spat surprising himself in his own anger.

"Avatar Janri, princess of Omashu on the last day of her life," he explained with next to no emotion.

"And the other?" Aang asked gaining more control over his voice.

"A section of my life." again without emotion.

Aang paused thinking what to say or ask next, at last he settled on, "Did it work?"

Gaius smiled slightly, "Yes, Mato chased my brother and my honour guard right through my army. He spread himself to thin and then I struck!" there was an unpleasant relish in his voice.

"From where?" Aang still did not see how he could have won the battle. Pieces of the memory still swam in him head, he knew that Mato's army was in the thousands, Gaius' had been in the hundreds.

Gaius' smile widened wickedly, "From the middle," he said slowly as if savouring every word, "I hid beneath the ground and when the time was right in my eyes, I sprung from the earth in fire and stone. I formed a a storm of death in the centre of his army as mine pushed at them from outside."

"Why..." began Aang but he stopped himself. There would be time for that later.

"Freedom and revenge," Gaius explained answering his unasked question, "I needed purpose in my life and I found it. Though I must admit revenge was always in my heart."

Aang looked up at Gaius at that, trying to make more sense of the man and how he had come from him. A sudden chill went up his spine as he looked the man in the eyes, they were a deep sea blue flecked with bits of white. He watched as they shifted again returning to the colour or colours he could not name.

"Pay it no mind," Gaius said softly actually looking away from Aang as he did so.

"Why?" Aang asked for a moment not seeing the irony.

"Are you ready to continue?" Gaius asked ignoring his question.

Aang paused for a moment wanting to know more but not wanting to anger is past life. He nodded, a small gesture but Gaius took it for its meaning.

Jumping to his feet he walked over Aang and placed his hand gently on Aang's head, "We must go further back," he explained as Aang felt himself come apart again, "peace shows little of what you must see. The answer you seek cannot be seen with one eye closed to the ways of the world. Airbenders have always had this problem, may this cure you..."

Everything he was become nothing and from nothingness came everything...when everything were were was gone, are you still you? Why did it have to be this way? Why?

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_Lightning in the sky with the rain poring down, moon is full and the seas against me, how do you balance the world when the worlds doing the unbalancing? What ever Im just saying..._

Tie Lang ignited the paper in his hand and let the ash blow away in the strong wind. As he did he released his focus and allowed the rain to fall on him. He was a little surprised by its intensity, it had gotten heavier since he started writing.

He looked out over the shore, the water lord's ships were getting closer. He could see them in the distance riding the giant waves like birds in a storm. It would not be long before the attack came, just enough time for him to indulge himself once more.

He walked casually through the camp people bowing to him as he passed. So many in the northern earth lands had answered the call, well those that were left in the north. The first of the raids had caused so many deaths that the army he had managed to marshal was not as large as he would have liked.

Still it would have to do and he was nothing if not confident in his own abilities.

He came to his own tent at last and grinned suggestively at the beautiful woman sitting by it's entrance. Yala was tall for a woman with full breasts, long hair and an unchaste look to her. This last part was very true about the young woman though people were often more concerned with the other important fact about the woman. She was the most talented Earthbender of her generation, save for him of course. And damn did that not turn her on some.

"Tie where have you been?" she cooed happily standing to come meet him, "my father was worried you'd given up on us."

He said nothing, he didn't have to he was the avatar. He just grabbed her gently by the shoulder and pulled her inside the tent. She giggled as he did, it was by no means the only time they had done this.

Pulling her in front of him he kissed her deeply pressing her soft body against his hard muscular one. They kissed fiercely an till she was fighting for breath forcing her to brake away panting. He did not let up though, running kisses slowly down her neck down to her collarbone her breathing becoming more raged.

As he reached the edge of her kimono he smiled, grabbing it in both hands and tore it from her leaving her naked before him. Pushing her roughly down onto his sleeping mat he yanked off his robe and knelt before her and pushed her over onto her hands and knees.

He laughed to himself as he began to enjoy his little toy, it was good to be the Avatar.

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Ok to be honest that last part was not planned, this happens to me a lot. The character just takes over you know, Im currently writing a book and this is the biggest block I have. The characters keep ruining the chapters. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter please review if you liked it, I well come suggestions and opinions.


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